1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to toner for a thermal transfer printing sheet and a production method thereof, and a thermal transfer printing sheet obtained by using the toner and a production method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Transfer to various materials including metals, wood and resins, in addition to a cloth, can be performed by a thermal transfer printing technique using a thermal transfer printing sheet. Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2013-68862 discloses a thermal transfer printing sheet comprising a release sheet, a printed image formed on the release sheet, and a film-shaped toner layer made of a thermoplastic resin and formed on the release sheet so as to correspond to the printed image. The thermal transfer printing sheet is superimposed on a transfer object, and they are heated and pressurized, thereby thermally transferring the printed image and the film-shaped toner layer to the transfer object. In the instant specification, a toner which forms a printed image in a thermal transfer printing sheet may also be referred to as an “image-forming toner”, and a toner which forms a film-shaped toner layer in a thermal transfer printing sheet may also be referred to as “film-forming toner.”
As for the toner usually used for forming letters or images, high image quality printing is realized by decreasing a diameter of toner particles. On the other hand, it is required for the film-forming toner to have characteristics necessary for film formation such as a fixing property to a release sheet, a property of holding an image-forming toner, and an adhesive property to a transfer object, in addition to characteristics required for the usual toners such as grindability and chargeability. When the transfer object is a cloth, characteristics including a following property to a shrunk cloth, a launderability, and the like are also necessary.